54 SOUTHERN BEE CULTURE 



ous job to fix up hives when there are large swarms of bees hanging about 

 the apiary. Other swarms also may issue or come out and settle on them, 

 and give you a whole lot of trouble in dividing them. 



Settled swarms of bees should be handled or removed from their set- 

 tling place as gently as possible. A swarm-catcher is a good device for this 

 purpose (see "Apiarian Implements"), or a tin can may be used; or if they 

 settle on a small limb it can be sawed off and the bees dislodged gently in 

 front of the hive. 



In preparing hives for natural swarms a few should be prepared with 

 full sheets of foundation in the brood-frames, and all small swarms hived 

 in them; but all the large swarms can be hived on starters, as they are pre- 

 pared for comb-building, and will soon build them a set of good combs, 

 while the small swarms are not so well prepared to build comb; and, if not 

 given full sheets of foundation, they may build. a poor set of combs; and, 

 besides, they need this great help. 



When a colony of bees swarms, the most of the vigor or strength of it 

 goes out with the swarm, therefore it will not recover from this great loss, 

 perhaps, until the next honey-flow ; and to get the best results from the new 

 swarm, remove the old hive which swarmed, and set the newly hived swarm 

 in its place as soon as the bees are in it. The field force will come from the 

 old hive back to the same location, and increase its force ; and in two or 

 three days after the new swarm has been hived give them a super ; for, if the 

 weather is favorable, by this time they will have nearly a full set of combs 

 built in the brood-apartment, and nearly filled with brood and honey, when 

 they will soon enter the super, building comb and storing honey. 



It is natural to suppose that, when bees swarm, they are expecting to 

 search and find them another abiding-place and go to it, and that they are 

 not expecting to be supplied and put in it; and, as they haVe a wonderful 

 instinct, they may decide that it will be removed from them, and that they 

 had_ better go to the forest for a home, where their instinct leads them. 

 So they may come out and leave, although they were gently put into a well- 

 prepared hive. But a well-prepared hive (containing full sheets of foundation, 

 etc.), will greatly lessen the number of absconding swarms. As soon as a 

 swarm begins to issue, if you will go to some colony and get out one frame 

 containing eggs and very young tiny bees, and insert it in the middle of the 

 hive you have prepared for the new swarm, when hived they will not leave 

 the brood. If the frame is removed from another colony which has been 

 hived but a few days it will be new, tender, and contain no sealed brood, but 

 some new honey scattered around in the cells, and Ibts of eggs and tiny bees ; 

 and it matters not if the comb is not built down near the bottom-bar nor the 

 cell built out. This is an ideal comb, and you may be sure your new swarm 

 will not leave it. 



NATURAL SWARMING. 

 Natural increase is nature's way of increasing the number of swarms, 

 and is the best way for a bee-keeper to increase the number of his colonies 

 until he is advanced in bee culture and knows what he is doing when he 



